The present invention relates in general to protective shielding of deck surfaces of ships during seagoing travel.
Protective shielding of ship deck surfaces for various purposes, including reduced radar detection for naval surface vessels as well as protection against wind and salt spray to reduce corrosion and maintenance costs, are goals and requirements heretofore dealt with at relatively high costs and with increase in topside marine vessel weight, involving for example permanent steel structures on topside deck surfaces, and structural shaping and material treatments of shielding facilities. Such shielding problem solutions were not only costly and added to topside weight but required continuous inspection and maintenance to remain effective. It is accordingly an important object of the present invention to provide less costly shielding protection for marine vessel topside deck surfaces, capable of being more readily maintained effectively without excessive weight increase of the topside deck.
In accordance with the present invention, modular bulwarks are installed in shielding positions between stanchions ordinarily mounted on a topside deck surface of a ship, by support exclusively on the uppermost and lowermost of the plural life rails heretofore extending between the stanchions. Each of such modular bulwarks is formed by a single panel of standardized shape and size having an outer surface aligned with the stanchions and an inner surface to which assembled clamps are attached for installation and replacement of the panels by personnel standing on the topside deck surface while the ship is underway during seagoing travel. Each clamp includes a base element attached to the inner surface of the panel, having an arcuate recess within which one of the life rails is seated. An outer clamp element is interconnected with the base element by a threaded bolt fastener about which the outer element is pivotally displaced over the base element between an unclamped position and a clamped position engaging the rail seated within both clamp elements. Installation or replacement of the panel as aforementioned is effected by insertion thereof between the rails and pivotal displacement relative thereto, followed by tightening of the threaded bolt fasteners by means of wingnuts associated therewith, which also accommodates selective unclamping for panel replacement purposes.